Indagine sperimentale di un materiale composito innovativo per il settore aeronautico. Prove preliminari e potenziali applicazioni future

In the aerospace sector, material selection is a crucial element in the development of components and structures that meet strict technical and regulatory requirements. The use of advanced materials is essential for improving performance, reducing weight, and ensuring the safety of aviation applications. However, the introduction of new materials involves a complex validation process, which includes a wide range of experimental tests and necessary interaction with the Authorities (EASA-European Union Aviation Safety Agency and FAA-Federal Aviation Administration) to obtain flight safety certification. The adoption of a composite material requires a detailed and costly process in terms of time and resources. This process is divided into several phases: • Preliminary go/no-go tests, which consist of initial checks to determine the material’s feasibility against the minimum required standards; • General characterization, which involves a thorough analysis of the material’s mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties; • Application evaluation and certification, which involves carrying out specific tests required by the Authorities for the intended applications, ensuring regulatory compliance. This thesis is set within this context and focuses on the preliminary tests and preparatory activities for the introduction of a new composite material proposed by NanoTech S.p.A. Specifically, the research work involves carrying out mechanical characterization tests of the material at room temperature and at high temperatures, as well as a preliminary benchmark study on two significant case studies for aerospace applications, providing the maximum coverage of the mechanical characteristics required for the innovative material. The objective of the benchmark was to evaluate the potential economic advantages of using the composite material compared to the technologies currently used for titanium alloy forming. This evaluation was conducted considering the introductio of the composite material into the production of components using the Hand Layup Process, which is significant in terms of production quality and performance.